Chapter 15: Arsenal Held to a Draw, Lu Junfeng Takes the Stage!
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The match quickly resumed. The Arsenal players who scored seemed to have broken free from their shackles, playing with much more ease.
In just a few minutes, "Hot Bird" Gervinho dribbled down the right side and passed the ball to Giroud. Giroud then distributed the ball to the right flank, where "Zhan Ba Wan" Jenkinson was making a run.
Jenkinson delivered a low cross from the byline, and Gervinho, who was perfectly positioned, shot from close range and scored!
Goal!!!!!!!!!
Another goal!
Montpellier 1: Arsenal 2.
Arsenal immediately completed the turnaround! They're back! Everything has returned! Arsenal fans saw signs of revival in their team!
Meanwhile, Montpellier players looked somewhat bewildered. How did they concede two goals so quickly after tightening up for just a moment? Now they had no choice but to launch an all-out attack!
Both sides engaged in a fierce battle in midfield! Fortunately for Montpellier, they failed to create any threats, and Mbiwa received a yellow card for a rash foul.
By halftime, the score was locked at 1:2, with Arsenal temporarily leading as the visiting team.
In the locker room, Wenger praised the players' performance in the first half and then instructed them to tighten up in the second half, keeping Giroud up front to control possession while waiting for midfield teammates to make runs for counterattacks.
Giroud's weakness is his lack of speed; relying on him for counterattacks is unrealistic.
The second half began quickly. Arsenal's substitutes started warming up on the sidelines, ready to come on at any moment.
Desperate to equalize, Montpellier players surged forward, bombarding Arsenal's goal with attacks. Arsenal could have had many counterattack opportunities but missed them all due to Montpellier's familiarity with Giroud's style and a lack of cohesion among teammates.
However, for them, defending fiercely to secure three points would suffice. But their defense was not that solid.
In the 72nd minute, Montpellier earned a corner kick opportunity. The corner was taken and headed towards goal by a Montpellier defender! Mannone made a desperate save! However, he couldn't clear it far enough; opposing forward Kamara pounced and scored!
2:2!
Both teams were back on equal footing! Arsenal fans in attendance couldn't help but cover their faces in despair. Why is it so difficult to win a match this season?
For Montpellier, being able to secure one point would already be satisfactory since they were facing Arsenal. But Arsenal certainly aimed for victory. They desperately needed a win to dispel doubts about their capabilities!
Yet they feared that pushing too hard would leave them vulnerable to counterattacks and risk losing even one point.
Just when things seemed bleak, Giroud twisted his ankle and struggled more with his movements. Wenger had no choice but to make a substitution.
At that moment, Zhan Lu asked Zhang Jun:
"Who do you think will replace Giroud?"
Zhang Jun thought for a moment and said:
"Looking at his physique, Lu Junfeng should be a similar type of striker as Giroud. I'm not sure if they will swap positions. But now the situation isn't good for Arsenal; they might choose to reinforce their defense or bring on Walcott for counterattacks."
Before long, the substitution board was raised, showing that number 58 was coming on!
Lu Junfeng entered the game!
Fans of Huaxia were immediately thrilled. This is not garbage time! Bringing Lu Junfeng on at this moment shows Wenger has great trust in him! It seems Lu Junfeng has enough skill to change the game's dynamics!
Zhang Jun excitedly said:
"Lu Junfeng is on the pitch! He has caught Coach Wenger's attention! Let's see how he performs! I hope he can score Arsenal's first goal by Huaxia players in the Champions League!"
On the European side, commentators were somewhat confused. In such circumstances, Wenger actually brought on a young player who had never appeared in an official match before. Was he giving up on this game?
Everyone knows how poorly Huaxia players perform! They could easily bring on another defensive player to hold onto one point or substitute Walcott for counterattacks instead!
Lu Junfeng himself felt somewhat bewildered. He didn't expect Wenger would put him on instead of Giroud in such a tense situation.
Wenger told him:
"Kid, don't be nervous; just play like it's a reserve team match. The outcome of this match isn't that important. I see you have confidence on the pitch. Remember what I said: try your best to control the ball and pass it to teammates who are open. If there's an opportunity for a counterattack, just push forward!"
Lu Junfeng took a deep breath, hugged Giroud as he came off the pitch, and stepped onto Montpellier's home turf.
This was his first high-level match! It would be impossible not to feel nervous; he trembled with excitement and couldn't contain himself.
Fortunately, he had heard over thirty thousand fans cheering loudly enough that he didn't pay much attention anymore. Even if local fans booed him, he wouldn't understand because it was all in French.
His teammates were somewhat puzzled as well; they didn't understand why this kid was brought onto the field under such uncertain circumstances. They thought he would only come on during garbage time to experience the atmosphere of the match.
At this moment, Arteta specifically ran over to encourage Lu Junfeng and told him to relax while playing. Truly someone destined to become Arsenal's future head coach! Even before retiring, Arteta already had a coach's mindset!
The match quickly resumed. To combat his nervousness, Lu Junfeng decided to warm up first. Whether or not he could score was secondary; since it was his debut appearance, he must show a good attitude.
"I will work hard! I will press! I will sweat profusely!"
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